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111115-Life after death
CSO: Nyarla, you wake up, lying on a cold, hard floor. Libby is leaning over you. "Hey, Nyarla. Are you all right?" CCC: Sits up, startled. He collects himself and grimaces. "No, not particulary" CCC: "...I'm pretty sure I just died" CSO: She nods. You can see Serios and Aaisha flying away over Derse on a screen behind her. "Yes... that happens." CSO: "It's why I brought you here. So the horror terrors won't give you the tormented nightmares since your Dream Self is dead." CCC: "Huh?" CCC: "Nightmares from horror terrors?" CCC: There's the barest tinge of fear in his voice CSO: "If one of your selves dies, when you sleep, you dream of my Wardens. I wanted to protect you, and your sanity." CSO: She stands up slowly, avoiding looking at the screen. "Would you like some tea?" CCC: "...I cannot thank you enough" CCC: "Yeah, hehe, tea sounds nice" CCC: He stands up too, looking himself over. He was wearing the clothes he died in. CSO: Libby beckons him into the next room, wincing as Serios' voice can be heard calling Aaisha 'my Love'. CCC: He follows obediently. "That's gonna be hell to deal with." CCC: He sighs. "Sorry that I fucked everything up" CSO: "You usually do." She says it with no malice, gently pouring tea from an ornate golden tea pot into a china cup decorated with text you can't read. "Drink. It'll make you feel better." CSO: Libby winces again, and presses her hand hard against the bandages. CCC: He can only laugh softly at that. Normally he;d take offense, but death wasp...sobering. He doesn't worry about the text, gratefully taking the tea to drink. CCC: "Hey, are you feeling okay?" He takes a small step closer CSO: "I know she's doing this to get to me." She gestures with her free hand to the Screen. CCC: "Of course, she's so petty" He watches the screen borerdly CSO: Libby starts crying quietly, turning away from Nyarla. CCC: He steps closer, tentatively placing a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be alright" CCC: "Hey look, I think she's catching on" CSO: Libby angrily pulls off her bandage, twisting it in her hands, as it's soaked with tears. Where her eyes should be are monstrous gaping wounds, that still bleed slightly. "GodOS help me get through this. GodOS make this go faster, get it over with. I am the Last Archivist of Arena." CCC: "I'm sorry, it just only be a few moments more, til he's free" CCC: He pulls her into a hug CCC: "He's using his powers now" CCC: "If you can send me back as a ghost I'd be happy to clock Scarlet again" CSO: "Vigil's going to kill him." CCC: "...shit. I'm sorry, I did the best I could to distract him" CCC: "I wasp even trying a a last ditch time thing. Ironically, didn't have enough" CSO: "I told you, Jack would kill you." CSO: "There's a reason I didn't say much to Serios in person. You knew Scarlet could hear you speak." CCC: "..." CCC: "My bad, I at least refrained from saying her name when I told him what it did. I should've expected this though, given the plotting against her" CCC: "Funnily enough, what I should have said outloud is that I'd wanted out. Out of that mess regarding her." CCC: "Couldn't leave Aaisha though" He sighs, resignedly CSO: Libby nods, digging around in her desk drawers for another bandage. "I wouldn't expect you to." CCC: "We're so out of our depth." He watches the screen CSO: "Yes. It's why I tried to help." She sounds tired and defeated. CCC: "In my defense, I really don't know what made me punch Scarlet" CCC: "One momant I'm forced to try for Aaisha and the next, it's Scarlet" CSO: "Aaisha did." CCC: "How?" CCC: "Her psionics?" CSO: "Let me go get Serios." She stands up and heads back to the room where you woke. CSO: "Her powers as the Sylph of Doom. She gave her own Fate to Scarlet. CCC: He lets her go, sipping his tea and thinking on that CCC: "I'm going to fuck Vigil up eventually. He's such a prick" CCC: "He just has that attitude that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I hope he chokes on me" CSO: Libby comes back in, half-dragging Serios by an arm. "Can you help?" CSO: "He must have woken up on LoPaP CSO: ..." CCC: He moves to grab Serios' other arm CCC: Helping to drag him CCC: "I don't think he'll take that very well" CSO: "Just..." She coughs. "Let's get him on the couch." She nods to the couch across from a large empty glass tank. CCC: He nods, dragging Serios over to the couch and lifting up up to lay across it CSO: "Thanks," She says, before sitting next to Serios on the couch and touching his face softly. "I hope he doesn't begrudge me bringing him in here." CSO: She heads back over to the desk, and finally finds a bandage, tying it hastily over her eyes. CCC: "Better than horrorterror fueled dreams" CSO: "Perhaps. But I don't know if he's..." She shakes her head. "I don't know if he wants to be around me." CCC: He sips more of his tea. "He couldn't possibly." CCC: "He loves you" CSO: "I hope: CSO: " CSO: She laughs. CCC: "Haven't you gone on before at length of how dutiful we wasp to you? A little death won't stop that" CCC: "Sure he's probably freaking out a bit, but we're all better for it." CCC: "Smarter, at least" CCC: "Gonna have to play it safer from now on...Sorry I failed at keeping him safe" CSO: "If you fail again. I'll kill you, and dump this version of you out to them." CSO: She pours her own cup of tea. CCC: "I expected that" He casually sips at his own tea CCC: "Thanks for not doing that already" CCC: He grimaces CSO: She shrugs. "He needs you to survive. And I still have affection for you, just not in the same way. I would be sad to see you harmed, but if it ever comes down to a choice, I will always pick him." CCC: He chuckles. "I can understand that." CCC: "So where do we go from here? Did Vigil not nab my other body too?" CSO: "No." CCC: "I'm honestly surprised" CSO: She taps the screen, and it shows your waking self, asleep at Milo's hive. CCC: "I look so peaceful when I sleep" CCC: "So when I wake up, do we just go back to hunting frogs like nothing happened?" CSO: "I'm sure you'll want to talk. Not just to Serios, and Aaisha, but to the others." CCC: ""Hey, wait til you hear how bad i fucked up"" CCC: "It's gonna be fun" CCC: "At best, I can run an embargo on all contact with them" CCC: "Not that anyone'd listen to me" CSO: She shrugs. "Your bigger concern should be Jack's attentions to Lila." CCC: "At least I still have the dagger and injector on my waking self, as if I have a chance of hitting him with either" He also shrugs CCC: "Worst case, you'll be seeing me again" CCC: "Second best case, actually" CCC: "Heard he has some kind of tortue museum" CCC: "That's the worst case" CSO: "Aah yes. His 'gallery'." She hisses. CCC: " His 'gallery'?" CSO: "That's what he calls it." CCC: "Lovely, so he has a collection of his trespasses?" CCC: "Why is he such a creep?" CCC: "Why are they all creeps?" CSO: "He was the High Programmer. 'No' wasn't a word he ever heard." CCC: "Meteor death may have been the better option." CCC: "Ah well, we're here now" CCC: "So he's spoiled then?" CCC: "Why does he comb back?" CSO: "He is trying to collect something." CSO: "I don't know what." CCC: "I guess that's why he hasn't beaten the game and offed us all, yet" CCC: "I'm curious what he could even need, and why he doesn't have it yet after breaking thee game." CSO: She shrugs, and walks back over to Serios. "I lied. I know what he wants. But I am afraid." CCC: "...would you please tell me what?" CSO: She stays quiet, looking at Serios for a long time. "Come with me." CCC: He looks curiously at her, but follows CSO: She heads out of the room, through unlit corridors, to a door. "This way." CCC: He continues, being naturally nocturnal had it's perks as far as darkened areas went. CCC: He stops just behind her, waiting to see what wasp behind the door CSO: She pushes it open, and you hear a soft click, and lights start flickering on. Huge bookcases stretch into the distance, as far as your eyes can see. It hurst to look at them. "This is the Archive Core of GodOS." CCC: "Archived core of...GodOS?" CCC: "...the heart of your god?" CSO: "His Memory. Without this, he's little better than a calculator. All complex algorithms, no database to draw from." CCC: "...and you're the last Archivist to tend to him. All that remains of your culture and your world" CSO: She nods. "I am the one that removed it from my Sprite, and made it physical. That prevented GodOS from going with Jack into the New Universe. Jack cannot progress until this reenters the game as a Sprite... Or until I take it with me into a new Universe without him." CCC: "So godhood and time shit aside, this is where Jack's real power is? His status as high programmer?" CSO: She nods. CSO: "Wanna watch a movie? I'll show you the highlight reel." CCC: He chuckles and nods CSO: She heads back to the room where she left Serios. CCC: He joins her, reclaiming to cup of tea to sip on -- CURRENT sanguineOracle CSO pulls out her little black device, and taps on it a few times, then a glowing bar appears on the screen. -- CSO: Libby gently lifts Serios' head, and sets in her lap. She idly strokes his hair while the video plays. CSO: The first video shows a grassy hill at twilight, with fog clinging to the ground. A stamp in the corner reads "Land of Echoes and Rememberance". It looks like surveillance footage. Libby is standing there, talking to Jack. She has no bandages over her eyes, which are as red as her blood. She's wearing a long, shapeless red robe. Jack is shaking her shoulders. "You're the Seer of Blood, Archivist. You had to have seen them together!" She shakes her head, and apologizes, profusely. He curses, then pushes her down to her knees, and freezes time. The clock in the corner stops moving, but you watch as Jack pulls out a small knife and cuts out her eyes and eyelids, and captchalogs them. When the clock starts ticking again, Libby falls to the ground, blood flowing openly from her wounds. CSO: "...Serios," she whispers, and Jack continues to rail at her. "Yes, I am serious! You failed me for the last time, Archivist." He stabs her in the stomach, leaving his sword in her. He looks up at the sky. "You can have her. Just don't get in my way." CCC: He grimaces CSO: The scene skips ahead. It now says "Skaia" in the corner. Jack, Scarlet, and Vigil are standing in a little clutch, talking. "Yeah, I got rid of her. We don't need her for the next phase of the plan." Vigil rolls his eyes, but says nothing. CSO: "Scarlet, I'm sending you to the control room on Derse. Vigil. You'll take the one on Prospit. We're going to crash them both into the Black king, and take the prize." CSO: The scene skips again, this time to "Furthest Ring". Libby is here, rubbing at the bandages tight on her eyes. Her face is still streaked with blood. Her sprite, a weird, glowing pillar, looks at her in confusion, as she throws a stone into it, and removes a peice of computer equipment. She follows it up by tossing in a photo, and you see the Sprite become Aaisha. They stare at each other a long time, then Libby says, "Tell me about Serios." CSO: The scene skips again, this time To a split screen. One half says "DERSE" the other "PROSPIT" CSO: You see Scarlet trying to open a door. She has video chat open with vigil, and another screen showing the moon's trajectory into skaia. CSO: The door seems stuck. "Vigil? Vigil my door is stuck, come get me." CSO: Vigil on the Prospit side looks up at the screen. He flickers for a moment, then frowns. "I cannot teleport, Scarlet." CCC: "...so he did you all in, then" CSO: Libby nods, as the Scarlet on Screen begins screaming, desperately trying to get out of the room. A moment later the feeds cut, saying "DERSE LOST" and "PROSPIT LOST" CSO: The final scene shows Jack standing before a Door. A voice behind him says, "High Programmer, we have a problem." Behind him is the White Queen. "Someone has de-prototyped the Archives. GodOS is incomplete." CSO: He nods. "I need to buy myself time, then." CSO: He pulls out a computer and plugs it into the door itself, hacking his way into... something. A moment later he pulls out a pocketwatch, and vanishes. Then the screen says "GAME COMPLETE: ALL FEEDS LOST" CSO: She flips the screen back to Derse, where Aaisha is asleep in a puddle of her tears next to Serios' corpse. CCC: He looks away from the screen CCC: "So that's the end of your session? Jack flips out and kills everyone" CCC: "Of jealousy?" CSO: She nods. CSO: Libby gently strokes the side of Serios' face. CCC: "Why is romance such a huge plot point in all of this?" CCC: "I think it's spurred on all our rises and falls so far" CSO: "For Jack? It's the one thing he couldn't have. For Scarlet? It's the only thing she knows. For me? Waiting for him was the only thing that kept me sane. Vigil's the most normal of us." CCC: "And fuck Vigil in particular" CSO: "As for the rest of you..." She shrugs. "I promised myself I would carry him on my back through that door if I had to. No matter the cost." CCC: "Have fun with that, he's pretty heavy" CCC: "Damn seadweller bulk" CSO: She blushes. "I'm hoping he's bulky." CSO: "You should probably get some sleep." She smiles. "I'm sure they're worried about you." CCC: "I'd say I was dead tired, but that'd be in bad taste" CCC: "But appropriate" CCC: "What happens if I sleep from now on? I come back here?" CSO: She carefully puts Serios back where she found him, and heads to an unmarked door. "Yep. You'll wake up here with me. Ghosts can't enter the medium proper without some pretty crazy equipment." CCC: "Almost don't wanna go back, it's so stressful out there" CCC: "It was killing me" CCC: "Bad jokes aside, would you happen to have any recuperacoons?" CCC: "I don't think I've sleep in one in days." CSO: "Well, try to think of this place as a safe haven for you. When you rest, nothing can get to you out here." She leads him down a small hallway to another door. "I expected to have a few guests. I created one in here." CSO: "It's a very bare room, I'm afraid, but hopefully you can learn to be comfortable there." CCC: "I don't mind if the room's a bit sparse. I only want to sleep" CCC: "Shame I'll wake right back up without the coon" CSO: "You'll be fine. Just rest. I'm going to rearrange the rooms a bit once you're sleeping, so that Serios and I can have some privacy. But the end of this hallway will always be a general room you can hang out in. If you need anything, look for the Handmaidens." CCC: "Thanks." He gives her a pat on the shoulder and moves into the room CCC: "I guess, I'll see you next time I finally get some rest" CCC: "Hopefully not from having died agian" CCC: "As...casual, as that is" CSO: She nods. "You'll be here a lot, so do try to think of it as a second home. I want you all to be comfortable." She abruptly hugs him. CCC: He wraps his arms around her, returning the hug. "Yeah, hehe, I'll make myself right at home. Personalize the room and all that" CCC: "It seems nice here" CSO: She nods into the hug, and sighs. "Whatever you do, don't put in windows. You don't want to see them." CCC: "Heh, yeah, no thanks. I've read about them and that's more than enough warning" CSO: Still clutching him tightly, she continues. "When you wake, you should seek out Aaisha. She will need you. I know this whole thing is going to hit her hard." CCC: He rubs soothing circles on her back. "Yeah, she'll probably want to know that I'm still around, even if I'm technically not" -- CURRENT sanguineOracle CSO carefully extricates herself. "Sorry.... I... Serios..." She's blushing profusely. -- CCC: He lets her go, smiling softly at her. "It's cool, I understand" CSO: She nods, and scurries back down the hallway, and back through the door. CCC: He nods at her as she leaves, turning to the room and setting up for a good rest and return to the waking world Category:Libby Category:Nyarla